Rules of the event – Intercontinental Spirit Challenge

  1. Submission of samples and/or payment of entry fees constitutes acceptance of all the rules.
  2. The organisers will not accept tank samples as entries into the event.
  3. The label’s product information determines each category, and the organisers may change the product’s category without providing notification.
  4. There is no minimum stock quantity needed to enter a product.
  5. There is no limit to the number of entries per producer. However, a producer may only enter each wine once into the event (even if it is under a different label). Any participant may enter more than one wine in a class. Examples are wineries that produce several wines of the same varietal type, but with different vineyard designations or vintages.
  6. A wine that has not been certified as a cultivar wine, although it may be one, may be entered into a blended category.
  7. You may re-enter a product that received an award in a previous year’s event.
  8. Entries will be accepted online from the entry date stated on the website up to midnight on the close of entries. Entrants must email proof of payment to support@interwinechallenge.com before midnight on the closing date for entries.
  9. You will receive an email from the event organisers with the products entered, with an invoice attached within 72 hours after entering.
  10. A wine sample must comprise two 750ml bottles or the volumetric equivalent thereof.
  11. Producers must deliver their samples to the drop-off point between 09:00 and 16:00 on the allocated days, unless FedEx is handling the collection. FedEx will ensure that the samples arrive at the drop-off point on time.
  12. We will notify winners by email and courier the stickers approximately three weeks after the announcement. We require proof of payment for both entries and stickers before we courier the stickers.
  13. Quantities of stickers ordered that are not multiples of 1,000 will be rounded up and invoiced accordingly.
  14. By entering the event, the entrant commits to paying for the number of stickers indicated before the required deadline for the products that receive awards.
  15. The producer may only use the Silver, Gold, Double Gold and Trophy stickers awarded to the particular product that won the award. The producer may only use the stickers awarded on the specific product that was entered and won the award. You may only apply award stickers to the product that was entered and won. You may only market the award stickers in the media in conjunction with the product that won the award.
  16. You may not display the event logo or stickers on their own for marketing purposes; you must accompany them with the details of the specific product that won or photograph them with the award-winning product.
  17. Any samples remaining after the judging become the property of the event.
  18. The organisers will keep the judging process entirely confidential and will not release any details about the process or reasoning. They will not provide any feedback of any kind.
  19. The judges make the final decision, and the organisers will not change any awards after the judging process is complete. If a dispute arises, the event organiser will make the final decision.
  20. The organisers will not refund any fees.
  21. By entering the event, the entrant states that the information provided is factually and legally correct.
  22. Suppose a participant does not follow all the rules of the event. In that case, the event organisers have the right to disqualify the particular entry concerned, the entire year’s entries, or ban the producer from the event.
  23. The organisers will not make available a list of all the producers that took part in the event, nor will they be obliged to reveal the scores assigned to any product, or provide the details of products that were not awarded. It remains the prerogative of the organisers to publish the results of awarded products as they see fit.
  24. We will accept entries only in English.
  25. Entrants must complete all entry fields in full, and we may declare any incomplete entries void.
  26. Employees of the event or their immediate family members are not allowed to enter the event.
  27. If an entrant does not comply with the event’s rules, the organisers reserve the right to cancel their entry.
  28. The producer whose product is entered must fully understand the submission and grant the person entering the event the right to enter the product and order stickers. If the organisers discover otherwise, they will hold the person entering the event liable for any financial commitments made.
  29. If, for any reason, the organisers are unable to hold the judging or provide results to entrants, they will refund half of the entrant’s entry fee. They will not incur any additional damages to the event or any of the companies involved.
  30. To make a claim against Intercontinental Challenge (Pty) Ltd for defective stickers, you must return the stickers to Intercontinental Challenge in Stellenbosch within 7 days after the delivery date. The Intercontinental Challenge (Pty) Ltd will, at its discretion, either replace or credit proven defective stickers but will not accept liability for any direct, indirect, or other losses—including losses to third parties and legal expenses—arising from errors in providing stickers, delivery delays, or the unsuitability of the goods for their intended use.
  31. The event organisers cannot be held liable for any damage incurred to stickers after the client has accepted them or after a third-party transportation company has transported them.
  32. The event organisers reserve the right to change the rules of the event without notice and publish them on the website without prior notice to entrants. Entrants who do not wish to comply with the new event rules may cancel their entries before the closing date. After that, they must follow the event’s rules.
  33. Customs costs, import duties, and transportation of entries will be the entrant’s account. The organisers will not be responsible for any expenses incurred during the entry process. The entrant’s responsibility is to ensure that their samples get delivered on time. The Intercontinental Challenge will not be responsible for losses resulting from delayed entries for any reason.